Would Polyfilla do for this?

[swee'pea99]

Long story short, they didn't do the best job when they mounted this pipe to the wall - just drilled a couple of holes and sort of rested the screws in them - no rawlplugs or anything:

Now the screws have slid out of their holes. Getting bent in the process, which among other things would make it tricky to re-screw them with plugs or the like.

I'm wondering whether I mightn't be able to achieve a perfectly sound bodge by simply filling the holes with exterior Polyfilla, then pushing the screws into it and waiting till it all sets. There's no great load on the joints - it's just a bit of plastic tubing. Any thoughts?

All advice and suggestions much appreciated.

 

[Drago]

I'd be inclined to epoxy in some good quality wall plugs of an appropriate size and then re screw the fitting in when it's all cured.

 

[Sterlo]

They look like a type of Rawlbolt, if so wall plugs won't do anything. It looks like the collars haven't expanded, if so, you should be able the push them back in and tighten the nuts which will expand the collar and make them secure.

 

[swee'pea99]

Blimey, that were quick!

Thanks chaps! Rawlbolts eh? Well that's a new one on me - learn something new every day.

Well, for starters, they're not them...

So there's no collars to expand or owt like that. They really are just screws - tho' odd kind of screws, with no head, but tightened using the nut half way along.

It would obviously be better to do as Drago suggests, but that would mean going out and finding new fixings, plugs etc - so Plan A (I already have exterior Polyfilla!) would have obvious appeal...if it would work.

I know, I'm a bodger. Guilty m'lud. But would it hold....?

 

[Adam4868]

Is that how far those bolts/screws have come out of the wall or did they just sit away from the wall if you get my meaning?
Sh1te job either way,
I'd be putting some sort of plug into the wall and get a decent fixing.Polyfilla for that is just a temporary thing.

 

[Ian H]

They look like a type of Rawlbolt, if so wall plugs won't do anything. It looks like the collars haven't expanded, if so, you should be able the push them back in and tighten the nuts which will expand the collar and make them secure.

Perhaps some directionally-challenged person has screwed them the wrong way and lost the expander either in the brick or possibly down in the cavity.

 

[Electric_Andy]

Pollyfilla is good but GripFill (Toolstation £3.50) is better. It will stand up to the weather better and comes in a tube so you can squirt it in mess-free. Be careful where the hole goes; if dead hole then fine but you don't want to squirt a load if the hole goes right through into somewhere else. Leave to dry and then drill a hole for your correct sized wall plug for the bolt you're using.

Edit to add: Gripfill sets like stone so carefull where you're getting it



You can also get big expanding wall anchors (Fischer Loose Wallbolt) which are used for concrete but they are more expensive and probably overkill for this.

 

[Specialeyes]

They're absolutely not expander/sheath-anchor bolts, the bit going into the wall is a masonry screw thread. However, the issue is the (M6/M8?) threaded section sticking out for the bracket to clamp to. Given the fact it's 'only' taking shearing stress, I'd be inclined to fill the hole with 2-pack epoxy or gripfill and tighten the existing fixing up. I guess you'd have to remove the downpipe bracket first, then spin it back up tight once it's set.

If you switch to a different fixing how are you going to achieve the protruding thread for the bracket to fix to?

 

[presta]

I'd be inclined to epoxy in some good quality wall plugs of an appropriate size and then re screw the fitting in when it's all cured.

I'd be putting some sort of plug into the wall and get a decent fixing

then drill a hole for your correct sized wall plug for the bolt you're using

fill the hole with 2-pack epoxy or gripfill and tighten the existing fixing up

He clearly can't screw the fixings into a new plug because they're already screwed into the bracket, which won't turn without moving the pipe out of the way first - will that fall foul of Gas Safe regulations?

 

[Adam4868]

He clearly can't screw the fixings into a new plug because they're already screwed into the bracket, which won't turn without moving the pipe out of the way first - will that fall foul of Gas Safe regulations?

Put new brackets up whilst the pipe is in situ then.Cant speak for sweepee but it's not a massive job.Id want it right.

 

[Sterlo]

Sorry, thought they were Rawlbolt type from your first pic, can see they're not from the close up. Who fitted them and how long ago, tell them to come back and do it properly.

 

[swee'pea99]

Done!

Slight adjust to Plan A, based on advices many & various - took down the pipe and brackets, sank a couple of rawplugsinto the holes, then screwed the fittings into them. At least for the moment it feels rock solid - I suppose the real test will come with the winds of winter, but for the moment it feels like the job's a goodun.

Many thanks for suggestions - it all genuinely helps...feeds into the noodling process, you know...

Cheers all!

 

[swee'pea99]

Sorry, thought they were Rawlbolt type from your first pic, can see they're not from the close up. Who fitted them and how long ago, tell them to come back and do it properly.

Couple of months or so and yes, I did think about calling them back...but it's a slightly odd one. Long story short, we had a new boiler fitted by BOXT. The guys who came out to fix it were really nice, and went I think beyond the call on the job, raising the decking to dig a 1/2 cubic metre neutralising pit for the run off and the like - they were at it full on all day, from 8am till they finally left sometime past six. So TBH I don't blame them that much for skimping a bit on the final steps - they'd already done the important bit really well. So even though I obviously & certainly could get back to BOXT and have them sent back to do it properly, I didn't really want to (and get them into trouble with BOXT) if it could be a quick 'n easy DIY job. I'm a bodger...but quite a nice bodger.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[OldShep]

I’d try wrapping a bit of inner tube over it and screw it in. A couple of mm might be all it needs.

 

[DRM]

Also, while it's dry weather put something to seal the fascia of the brick that's come away by being drilled, you don't want the rest of the bricks fascia to blow over time/weather, the bits that have chipped away around the edge of the drill holes